Ann Timmer: AZ’s newest Supreme Court Justice

Court of Appeals Judge Ann Scott Timmer was named to fill the vacancy created when Justice Andrew Hurwitz resigned after being appointed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Brewer’s appointment of Republican Timmer, 52, changes the state’s high court’s political composition to four Republicans and one Democrat. Timmer has served as Chief Judge and Vice Chief Judge of Division One of the Court of Appeals. She was the judge who wrote this 2003 decision for a unanimous three-judge panel which upheld the constitutionality of the 1996 Arizona law banning same-sex marriage.

“Judge Timmer has a record of integrity and achievement in the legal profession, has proven herself as a well-respected and fair-minded jurist on the Arizona Court of Appeals, and will make an excellent addition to our Arizona Supreme Court,” said Governor Brewer. “It is my honor to appoint Ann Scott Timmer to our State’s highest court, where I know she will continue to serve Arizona with the kind of distinction that has marked her career over the last three decades.”

Timmer is a first-rate choice. She will be one of two female justices currently on the five-member court, as she joins Chief Justice Rebecca Berch. She is also the fourth woman ever to hold the position. The first was Lorna Lockwood — born in 1903 in the Arizona territory.

Lockwood is notable for being the first woman in the nation to become Chief Justice of a state Supreme Court. She passed the bar in 1925 and was a state legislator and Superior Court Judge before ascending to the Arizona Supreme Court — paving the nearly identical career path Sandra O’Connor eventually took to the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor, was elected to both the state legislature and as a Maricopa County Superior Court Judge (prior to the 1974 advent of “merit selection”) before her stint on the Arizona Court of Appeals. O’Connor was not a member of the state’s Supreme Court.

In an unprecedented move, Democrat Ruth McGregor was appointed to Arizona’s Supreme Court in 1998 by Republican Gov. Jane Hull. She has since retired.

Justices on the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals hear and review cases as a panel. Certainly, one judge or justice can change the overall outcome with their vote, but there are always others who are involved in the decision. It’s not a one man/woman show.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is often called the Ninth Circus since it’s the most overturned appellate court in the United States with highest percentage — 68% — of sitting judges appointed by Democrat presidents. Hurwitz was appointed by Obama, via his right hand guy, Janet Napolitano, who first appointed Hurwitz to the AZ Supreme Court. That McCain and Kyl were onboard with this farce is disgusting.

It will be interesting to see who changes whom. Hopefully Justice Timmer has the good character to act within the law rather than try to legislate from the bench. It may take more than one new face to change the unsavory tune favored by our AZ Supremes. Remember, this is the same rap combo that illegally surrounded a fraudulently-appointed Chairthing on our recent “Independent” Redistricting Commission after it had been fired for its fraudulent application and for violating AZ purchasing laws in hiring the Obamao campaign to draw our maps. (By the way, Mr. AG, what ever happened to that criminal investigation?)

This is the same group of arrogant thugs who reprieve murderers because they don’t find the acts of torturing and murdering a teenage brother and sister – just for practice – while the murderer was waiting for their mother to return so he could torture and murder her also, as being heinous enough to warrant a death penalty. [example 1 of many]